Tim Southee Aims to Dash Sri Lanka's WTC Final Hopes, Gift India a Chance

image-lexwglphTim Southee has been leading New Zealand in Tests (Twitter)

New Zealand captain Tim Southee is looking forward to keeping their winning momentum going when they take on Sri Lanka in the two-match Test series, starting in Christchurch on Thursday, March 9.

After a nail-biting win against England in their second Test of the recent two-match series, New Zealand has sent a strong message to their upcoming opponents, Sri Lanka. The New Zealand captain is optimistic that his team can build on this momentum and extend their winning run.

As part of the ongoing ICC World Test Championship (2021-23) cycle, the upcoming Test series between New Zealand and Sri Lanka holds great significance, with the visitors still having a slim chance of reaching the finals by beating New Zealand 2-0. However, captain Tim Southee is committed to making the way tough for them.

Reflecting on the growth of Test cricket and England's role in shaping it, here's what Southee said:

"It has been great to have the amount of people who have been talking about Test cricket, to see the Basin Reserve filled for five days was great to be a part of."

"I think, just in general, the guys are pleased to see people talking about Test cricket. And Test cricket being exciting. England have played their part in that, over the last year or so. The guys still see Test cricket as the pinnacle of the game." 

NZ face tough challenge

New Zealand faces an uphill task in the upcoming Test series against Sri Lanka, with their tall pacer Kyle Jamieson unavailable due to a back injury and former captain Kane Williamson's availability in jeopardy.

"It is a match that will be talked about for a long time, but they are a very humble group. Now our focus will shift to Sri Lanka."

"We are obviously out of the Test Championship, and they have got plenty to play for over the next two weeks."

Notably, Kane Williamson is currently with his family in Tauranga to grieve the loss of his grandmother. However, Southee is optimistic about his arrival before the series kick starts on Thursday. 

"On behalf of the team, I think everyone is feeling for Kane at the moment and he is in the best place he can be. And that is with, in and around, his family. It is a sad time for the Williamson family."

"We are looking forward to Kane joining up. He has been able to train with the Northern Districts guys in Tauranga, so I am sure he will be hitting plenty of balls and making sure he is ready to go come Thursday."